Xavier's POV
The Vipers were never meant to break.
They were built on loyalty, arrogance, and power. At Regal Heights, they were untouchable—four kings with no room for questions.
Until now.
Xavier sat at the back of the underground lounge—a private room beneath Ralph's penthouse. The lights were dim, jazz playing low, and tension thick like smoke.
Zayn was the first to speak. "You've changed, Xavier."
Adrien, always the calmest, leaned forward. "You've barely said a word since the prank. Since her."
Xavier swirled the drink in his hand. "So?"
"So?" Ralph's voice was sharp. "You've gone soft. And it's messing with the balance. We're the Vipers, remember? We don't get distracted by scholarship girls with sketchbooks."
The insult landed harder than Xavier expected—but not because it was aimed at Liana.
Because it was weak. Predictable.
"You sound scared," Xavier said coldly.
"Of her?" Ralph laughed. "Please."
"No," Xavier said, setting his glass down with a soft clink. "Of change."
Zayn stood up, pacing. "Look, we all played a part in that prank. But if you're gonna turn into her personal knight now—"
"I'm not anyone's knight," Xavier snapped. "I'm still who I've always been. The difference is—she's not who we thought she was."
Adrien crossed his arms. "And that scares you?"
"No," Xavier muttered. "That interests me."
Silence.
The group wasn't used to this version of him—reflective, quiet, restrained. He wasn't sure he liked it either. But Liana's defiance had gotten under his skin. Not just because she didn't bow, but because she didn't want to belong to their world. And somehow, that made her stronger than any of them.
Ralph stood, annoyed. "So what, we let her keep rising? We do nothing while she steals the spotlight?"
"No," Xavier said, standing too. "We watch. We wait. And when the festival comes... we'll see what she's really made of."
But even as he said it, he wasn't sure if he wanted her to fail anymore.
And that—that terrified him more than anything else.